Graduate Training in Nutrition

The goal of the Nutritional and Metabolic Biology (NMB) Program is to train individuals to become leading investigators in the field of basic nutritional sciences. With the increasing burden of metabolic and nutrition-related diseases that modern society faces, research to understand the basic biology of metabolic physiology and pathology is greatly needed. The NMB Program is housed in Columbia University’s Institute for Human Nutrition – a cross departmental center of education and basic laboratory research in nutrition and nutrition-related diseases. It is supported by the newly formed Vagelos Institute for Biomedical Research Education (VIBRE) whose mission is to foster collaborative, interdisciplinary education of doctoral students who will be prepared to lead in a rapidly evolving scientific landscape. With continuous support of this grant, the NMB program has grown considerable from 5 students 35 years ago to ~30 trainees today. We are requesting continued support of six pre-doctoral positions for the NMB Program. The Program is co-led by Drs. Anthony W. Ferrante and Lori M. Zeltser, established researchers with a long history of successfully mentoring pre-doctoral students. They are supported by a Training Committee of Columbia faculty and an External Advisory Committee of highly regarded nutrition and metabolism scientists, each with extensive training experience. The program faculty currently consists of 49 NIH-funded tenure-track or tenured mentors who are drawn from twenty departments. They perform research in four domains - Nutrient Biology, Obesity & Its Pathophysiology, GI Development & Function, and Cellular Metabolism & Nutrient Fluxes. Training in the Program consists of (1) a structured didactic core that provides foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills, (2) laboratory-based research training that builds scientific skills and reasoning, and (3) career development components that foster development of communication and management skills necessary for success in science. In the past this grant has supported all eligible first year students while they are taking required classes and doing laboratory rotations. However, VP&S has received a transformative gift for graduate education, leading to the establishment of the VIBRE. As a result, all first-year graduate student expenses will be paid for by the University. Funds from this training grant will now be used to support second- and third-year students who have begun formal training in their mentors’ laboratories. Providing funding as students transition to mentor’s laboratories will be especially beneficial to junior faculty who typically have few resources. Over the last 35 years, the NMB training program has produced scientific leaders across the spectrum of nutrition and metabolism research, and continued support from this grant will help ensure its continued success. Enter the text here that is the new abstract information for your application. No changes were made to the Abstract/Summary